Boat fender



Dec, 1 1, 1951 D. H. DICKSON, JR

BOAT FENDER Filed June 4, 1948 mmvll mvllllfamvlllwww i v x INVENTOR- Maui? Patented Dec. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOAT FENDER David H. Dickson, J r., West Palm Beach, Fla. Application June 4, 1948,.Serial No. 31,020

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates primarily to improvements in fenders for small boats such as powered pleasure craft, but may be adapted to wider application.

Prior to the invention it was the custom to carry on board each small boat, a pair ofbumpers and an ordinary piece of planking. The bumpers were hung over the gunwale and the planking hung by its two ends, with the two ends resting over the bumpers. In this manner it has been customary to prevent damage to the gunwale of small craft when moored to a pier or dock. However, this method is clumsy and often unsatisfactory as the coincidence between the planking and the bumpers must be exact or no substantial benefit will be derived therefrom.

One of the objects of this invention is the pro vision of a unitary fender which when lowered over the side of a craft will protect the'gunwale from damage throughout its entire length.

Another object of the invention is to provide a light yet powerful fender which may be quickly and easily lowered or raised with a minimum of time and effort.

Another object is to provide a fender in which the alignment between the fenders and the planking or its equivalent is automatic.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a fender guard which may be anchored to the craft by the use of only two ropes or cables instead of the usual four necessary for such anchorage.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification and the drawings referred to therein.

In the said drawings:

Fig. l is a plan of the fender and supporting members;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

, Referring to the drawing, I is a longitudinal plank of a thickness dependent upon the size and tonnage of the craft upon which the fender is to be used. The plank I is tapered at its end at 3 and 4 and has attached to its outer surface metal antifrictional strips 5 and 6, these metal strips are attached to the plank l by screws 5a and 6a. serving to reinforce and prevent wear of the plank. The plank I also has attached to it cross upright members I and 8, which are attached to the longitudinal plank or board I by means of section bolts 9 passing through and into thesaid plank. The members I and 8 are covered with canvas or other suitable material I!) and to the upright members by means of tacks or nails I2 along its inner edges. Near the ends of the boards I, and just before they begin to taper as at 3 and 4, holes l3 and i i are transversely bored, these holes being routed out at their base portion as shown at 15 and iii. The routed out portions i5 and IS of the transverse holes l3 and 14 are for the purpose of receiving and housing knotted ends of support ropes I! and 18 extending through the bores l3 and I4 and beyond plank l a sufficient distance to permit them to be passed over the rail of the boat and secured to an eye, cleat or the like on the deck or elsewhere in board. The hull and the dock or pier are indicated by dotted lines A and B respectively.

In practice, when a craft is tied up to a dock or pier, the fender is lowered by means of the ropes l1 and [8 to a point just below the gunwale and projecting sheer strake of the craft and between the hull and the pier. It will be noted here that the length of the board H will depend upon the length of the craft to be protected, the purpose being to have the board long enough to protect the gunwale and side planking from rubbing or striking against any portion of the dock, pier or piling to which the boat is moved so that the said plank or board must be of suificient length to protect the portion of the hull which would ordinarily strike the dock. Two or even more of the fenders may be carried by one boat if necessary or desirable.

The upright cross members 1 and 8 with their canvas covering Ill and resilient stuffing ll jut inwardly a sufficient distance so that any force striking the board I is distributed equally on the said padded members, and therefore the force of any such blow is taken up by these members in such a way that the aforementioned gunwale of the hull does not come into contact with the dock, pier or piling. The fender is always secured to the craft by means of ropes I1 and I8, and is usually stowed inboard during cruising.

Inasmuch as the board I is tapered at 3 and 4, the fender may be lowered into position before arrival at or near a dock area, and it need not be raised until after leaving the dock area, as the tapered smooth surface prevents the fender from catching on any projecting part of the dock and thus the device saves time in the docking of the craft.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a main fender member comprising a relatively long board having inwardly beveled ends and transverse longitudinally spaced apertures extending therethrough, cross members secured to and extending beyond said board on its inner side intermediate its middle and ends, pads secured to and covering the outer surfaces of said cross members, longitudinal antifriction and reenforcing strips secured to thebuter surface of said board and extending beyond said cross members and apertures, an elongated rope-like means for suspending said device on the exterior of the hull and for hauling it aboard extending through said transverse apertures and secured therein adapted to extend over the gunwale of the boat to have their upper ends secured to the hull well above said device.

2. In a device of the character described, a main fender member comprising a relatively long board having inwardly beveled ends and transverse longitudinally spaced apertures extending therethrough, cross members secured to and extending beyond said board on its inner side intermediate its middle and ends, pads secured to and covering the outer surfaces of said cross members, longitudinal antifriction and reenforcing strips secured to the outer surface of said board and extending beyond said cross members and apertures, an elongated rope-like means for suspending said device on the exterior of the hull and for hauling 1t aboard extending through said transverse apertures and secured therein adapted to extend over the gunwale of the boat to have their upper ends secured to the hull well above said device, said device adapted and intended to be suspended by said rope-like means outside the bulge of the hull of a boat and immediately below the gunwale and projecting sheer strake thereof in a position extending lengthwise of said hull with the cushioned cross members next to the hull.

DAVID H. DICKSON, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 461,759 Koch Oct. 20, 1891 1,704,768 Sigman Mar. 12, 1929 1,881,231 Jackson Oct, 4, 1932 1,896,277 Barry Feb. 7, 1933 2,230,333 Painter Feb. 4, 1941 2,259,440 Fageol Oct. 21, 1941 2,417,849 Walters et a1 Mar. 25, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,234 Great Britain Apr. 24, 1913 

